740.0011 European War 1939/100892/4: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 19—6:04 p.m.]
462. My telegram 461, April 18, 7 p.m. I have given the question careful thought in the light of all the possible consequences and do not feel that this new development—the increase in the number of Germans in North Africa of some 140—should of itself cause the cancellation or curtailment of the Department’s plans for supplying North Africa or tentative plans for sending wheat to the unoccupied zone. The obvious arguments in favor of such plans, of which the Department is now well aware as I am, seems will hold true. The limited quantities to be supplied and the timing of shipments should serve adequate guarantee against any accumulation of stocks or any aid to Germany. In the next few weeks’ time we shall learn whether there is a real infiltration of Germans into North Africa sufficiently grave to imply the impending loss of that territory—and any large infiltration should be very difficult to conceal. If so, we can, and in my opinion should, reverse our policy, frankly informing the Marshal of our reasons therefor. The Marshal certainly does not stand for defiance to German encroachments; but he does definitely represent a brake to full military “collaboration”; he will try to save the fleet from German hands and we cannot fairly say that North Africa is yet lost.
Even in the event, however, that we terminate our North African program, I feel that we should continue our Red Cross shipments of milk and vitamins for children. Aside from the humanitarian aspect of such a policy, it will go a long way to offset the campaign of calumny which may well be launched against us here if our present policy is changed. As long as we feed the children in this zone, it will be hard to make the population of unoccupied France lean toward collaboration; and as long as this public opinion holds, both the Marshal and his Government must and will be sensitive to it.